Skylight.



T. M. METZGER.

SKYLIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1, 1917.

Patented Sept. 4, 1917.

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SKYLIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1, 1911.

Patented Sept. 4, 191?.

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TTED STATES PATENT UFFTFE.

THEODORE M. METZGER, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

SKYLIGHT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Sept. 41, 11917..

Application filed February 1, 1917. Serial No. 145,957.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Tnnononn M. Marz- GER, a citizen of the United States, residing vide means in a skylight of the gable roof type for allowing the central sash of said light to be moved outwardly over the end sash in an over-lapping manner and thus to effect the opening of the roof.

Another object of this invention is to provide bearing means for the movable sash which will allow them to be readily moved without danger of binding.

It is another object to provide a gabled skylight construction which embodies the use of a series of specially formed sheet metal frame elements which, due to their shape, provide an exceptionally strong construction without the aid of numerous objectionable and unsightly reinforcing members.

Another object is to provide automatic means whereby the falling of a small amount of rain upon the roof will act to instantly close the opensash.

Another object is to provide a counterweight 1 mechanism cooperatively mounted in relation to the automatic closing means whereby said counter-weight will act to insure the closing of the sash after they have once been moved toward the closed position.

Another object is to provide a gable construction in which means are provided to prevent leakage of water through the light and around the joints between the sash.

Another object is to provide in a skylight frame, a construction which may be entirely built up from sheet metal parts and which may be readily and cheaply assembled in a manner to produce a frame of great strength.

It is a further object to provide a skylight having movable sash members, said sash members being adapted to move in a manner to insure against violent shocks and the consequent breakage of the glass within the sash.

Other objects Will appearhereinafter.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the assembled skylight and shows it with the sashes in their closed position.

F1g. 2 is a View in transverse vertical section through the skylight and particularly illustrates the frame construction as well as the mounting means upon which the sashes are adapted to move.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section through one of the bearing rollers upon which the sashes move.

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation showing the skylight as in an open position.

Fig. 5 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 4: and illustrates the skylight as closed.

Referring to the drawings more particularly, 10 indicates the curb of a light well 11 over which is disposed a skylight 12. The skylight 12, as particularly shown in F 1g- 1, is of the gable roof type formed with downwardly and outwardly extending side members 13 and 14 and vertically ex tending ends 15. All of these portions are provided with glass in order to furnish light to the light well. The end portions 15 are stationary and triangular in shape and have substantially their entire area covered with glass. The sides 18 and 14 are formed of a series of sashes, the sashes 16 and 17 being fixed in position within the main frame of the skylight and in a rigid relation to the end members 15. The sashes 18 and 19 are normally disposed across the space between the fixed sashes and are adapted to move in opposite directions and over the sashes 16 and 17. In the drawings, but four sashes have been shown. It is evident, however, that any even number of sashes may be used in this construction and that when a larger number of sashes are used the fixed and movable sash members will be equal in number so that when the movable sashes are moved over the fixed sashes, the combined widths of said sashes will be sufficient to accommodate the combined widths of the movable sashes. It will be seen that such an arrangement of the sashes will allow an opening to be made equal to half the length of the skylight.

The movable sashes are mounted at their upper and lower ends upon roller bearing members 20. The bearing members 20 are secured to the sashes by means of special brackets 21 which are in register with the angular plane of the sash and insure that the rollers will be vertically disposed parallel in relation to each other and to their tracks. The upper roller is provided With a channel track 22 within which it is allowed longitudinal movement. The track 22 is mounted horizontally and upon a sheet metal girder 23 which extends the length of the skylight and supports the greater portion of the weight of the structure. The girder 23 is formed in section with an upright U- shaped portion 24 which extends downwardly and outwardly to form a ledge upon which the track members 22 rest. Outwardly extending portions 25 .are formed at the terminating edges of said member and provide a supporting means for the fixed sash. An auxiliary ridge cap 26 is secured to the girder 23 and extends outwardly over the spaces which occur between the ends of the movable sashes and the girder. The lower roller members move withina channel 27 which is horizontal and substantially parallel to the upper channel member 22. The lower member 27 rests upon a drillledge 28 and is secured in a manner to allow the passage of water from the inside of thechan-nel through openings 29 and outwardly into the gutters 30 which extendthe entire length of the skylight.

Reference being had to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the roller members 20 are rotatably mounted upon axles 31 and upon ball-bearings 32 which allow the members to revolve with'slight effort. This is essential to the construction of large and heavy sashes as the weight of the glass in a skylight sash of normal size is considerable.

The gutters 30 are canted from one end of the skylight and terminate adjacent the opposite end in a manner to allow the water flowing therethrough to be emptied into a laterally extending pan 33. .The pan 33 is pivoted along its one side upon a pivotal mounting 34 which is=secured to the wellcurb. A pair of cables 35 and 36 are secured to the outer edge of the pan and extend upwardly over pulleys 37 mounted within the gable of the skylight. From thence the cables are carried to a pulley 38 mounted within the skylight gable and at the longitudinal center of the light. The ends of the movable sash members 18 -and 19.

Secured to the movable sash to insure their positive movement is a pair of cables 39 and 40 which are fastened to the movable sashes 18 and 19, respectively. These cables are led over pulleys 41 mounted be low the sash and at a point beneath the pulleys 38. The ends of the cables are then secured to a counter-weight 42 which normally rests upon a board 43 with a tapered aperture 44 extending through it. A horizontally disposed trip rod 45 is reciprocably further closing of the sashes.

mounted in a manner to allow its end 46 to I come into engagement with the pan 33 and its opposite end 47 to be moved against the weight 42 for a purpose which will be hereafter described.

In the operation, when the skylight is to be opened to allow ventilation, the sashes are drawn apart by any suitable means. It has been found, however, that a system of cables and pulleys will efiect' a satisfactory operation of the sashes independent of the automatic means, When the sashes are opened they will be disposed over the fixed sashes 16 and 17 in the manner shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings- When a rain storm begins downwardly, and into the gutters 30 and will be ledthrough them to the pan 33. The pan 33, as has been previously described, is connected by means of the cables 35 and 36 to the sashes and as the water increases in weight within the pan the sashes will be moved in a direction toward each other. In practice it has been found that a quart of water within the pan will overcome the inertia of the movable sashes, causing them to roll toward their closed position.

Simultaneous with the action of the; pivoted pan 33 as it swings in a downwardly direction, the. rod 45 will be moved by engagement with the bottom of the an and will cause its end 47 to push against the counter-weight 42 and cause' it to drop through the opening 44 in the supporting member 43. The resulting action is evident, as the weight, being unsupported, will draw upon its cables 39 and 40 to effect the Overlapping members 48, 49 and 50 secured to the marginal edges of the movable sash, act to prevent leakage of the water between the sashes when in their closed position.

"It is evident that I have provided a skylight construction of the gable roof type which is strong and which allows the sashes to be readily and easily moved to effect an.

opening through the skylight withoutthe necessity of the operator going to the roof nor the liability of the breakage of the glass when the skylight is operated.

While I have shown the preferred construction of my telescoping skylight as now known to me, it is evident that. various changes in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a gable roof, a ridge cap, a pair of oppositely disposed rigid roof sections below the ridge cap and leaving openings, tracks at the upper sides of the rigid section's, tracks at the lower sides of the rigid sections, said tracks extending past the openings, and movable roof sections mounted 80 the water falling upon the skylight will flow the transverse center, tracks at the upper sides of the rigid sections, tracks at the lower sides of the rigid sections, said tracks extending from end to end past said openings, and a pair of movable roof sections upon each side of the ridge cap. and mounted upon rollers upon the tracks and adapted to meet and normally close the openings and to move apart over and register with the rigid sections. v

3. In a gable roof, a ridge cap, pairs of oppositely disposed rigid-roof sections below the ridge cap and leaving openings at the transverse center, tracks at the upper sides of the rigid sections, tracks at the lower sides of the rigid sections, said tracks extending from end to .end past said openings, a pair ofmovable roof sections upon each side of the ridge cap and mounted upon rollers upon the tracks and adapted to meet and normally close the openings and to move I apart-'over'and register with the rigid sections,

a board mounted below the transverse center of the roof and having an opening, a weight adapted to be loosely mounted upon the board and to fall through said opening, cords connecting the weight to said movable roof sections; so that when the weight falls through the opening the movable roof sections will move to closed positions; and I means adapted to be operated by precipitation for upsetting the weight.

4. In a gable roof, a ridge cap, pairs of oppositely disposed rigid roof sections 'below the ridge cap and leaving openings at the transverse center, tracks at the upper sides of the rigid sections, tracks at the lower sides of the rigid sections, said tracks extendingfrom end to end past said openings, a pair of movable roof sections upon each side of the ridge cap and mounted upon rollers upon the tracks and adapted to meet and normally close the openings and to move apart over and register with the rigid sections, a board mounted below the transverse center of the roof and having an opening a weight adapted to be loosely mounted upon the board and to fall through said opening, cords connecting the weight to said movable roof sections; so that when the weight falls through the opening the movable roof sections will move to closed positions, a pan pivotally mounted in an exposed position, cords connected to the pan and to the movable roof sections; so that when'the roof sections are open the pan will be held elevated; and a push-rod between the pan and the weight; so that precipitation in the pan will start to close the movable roof sections and reciprocate the pushrod to upset the weight.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

' I 1 THEO. M. METZGER. 

